State plans to impose ban on iron ore export

Govt order after Lokayukta inquiry report on mining

The chief minister, here to attend the National Development Council (NDC) meeting, told newsmen that the State Government would issue an order in this regard in a couple of days.

“Taking into account the mushrooming of illegal mining in Karnataka, the State Government has decided to impose a total ban on export of iron ore from the ports in the State,” he said. The State would inform the Centre of its decision and seek its support.
The Centre could help by banning export of iron ore from the ports of neighbouring states, which would in turn prevent shipping out of ore removed from Karnataka mines, Yeddyurappa said.

Noting that there was an urgent need to arrest the export of nearly 58 per cent of iron ore extracted from the country, he said: “We have to find ways and means to create value addition within the country itself rather than blindly exhausting our natural resources through indiscriminate exports.” He also urged the Congress, in opposition in Karnataka, to drop their proposed “padayatra” and join hands with the State Government to exert pressure on the Centre to impose the ban on iron ore export.

Rejecting the Congress’s demand for the CBI probe into illegal mining instead of the Lokayukta one, Yeddyurappa said the Lokayukta was competent enough for the inquiry. According to him, the Congress’s demand for a CBI probe was in fact to protect their supporters, 90 per cent of whom were into illegal mining in Karnataka.
“If the Lokayukta probe is completed, it is the Congress that will face the trouble, as 90 per cent of the illegal miners in the State belong to the party,” he said.
DH News Service